Best.— Maori Forest Lore. 475 



upon, and many would take part in the makiri work.^A good deal of 

 rivalry obtained as to who would prepare the most birds. The refuse of the 

 birds, insides and bones (which would have yet a little flesh adhering to 

 them) were cooked as food for the workers. The birds so prepared were 

 packed tightly in baskets, which were put under water in a stream, where 

 they were left until thoroughly cold ; otherwise they would not keep long 

 after being potted. The process of packing the birds in layers in baskets 

 is termed whakamata. A basket of these prepared birds is termed a pou- 

 taka ; but that name would not be applied to the basket when empty— 

 the basket is a kete. Kiwi, kereru, kaka, kakapo, and koko were all preserved 

 in the manner we are describing. 



When taken from the water the birds are taken to the ahi matiti, the 

 mntiti fire, at which they are cooked and potted. Here three or four poles 

 are stuck in the ground in an upright position, each upright pole having 

 notches cut in it on the side next the fire. The birds are spitted on long 

 rods, and when the first rod is full it is laid in the bottom notches of the 

 uprights. The next rodful is placed in the next notches above the first, 

 and so on, each layer of birds somewhat overlapping the row below it. 

 The ahi matiti is a strong, clear fire, and is kept burning a little distance 

 in front of the matiti, as the arrangement of rods is termed. A wooden 

 trough is placed immediately below the rows of birds. One end of the 

 trough is lower than the other, and under this end is placed a large wooden 

 kiimete, or bowl, which is sunk in the ground. 



The heat of the fire melts the fat of the birds, which fat drips into the 

 trough and runs thence into the large bowl below. Red-hot stones are 

 placed in this bowl until the fat therein boils. , The birds when cooked 

 are taken off the rods and packed in gourds {taha) — calabashes. The 

 boiling fat is then poured over them until the pot is full. The word kohua 

 describes the stone boiling process. Food so preserved is termed huahua 

 — huahua manu if birds, and huahua kiore if rats. 



Coast-dwelling tribes used vessels made of seaweed wherein to pre- 

 serve the titi bird, but the inland folk used the calabash for all potted 

 game. 



These birds, &c., preserved in fat have ever been reckoned a great 

 dehcacy by the Natives, and the principal item of a feast. Such food 

 was often placed before visitors of rank, though apparently not always, 

 inasmuch as a common saying among Tuhoe is, " Waiho ma te pirau kainga 

 a Te Winirehe " (Leave it for the decrepit old people of Te Winirehe). 

 This man was a tribal ancestor, he who smote the sons of Manawa at Opu- 

 tara, and he objected to the huahua of his hamlet being given to visitors, 

 and so kept it for the decrepit old folk of his home. But even he would 

 place plenty of luscious huahua before the members of a party of blood- 

 avengers who came to him as allies in war-time. 



The word matiti seems to imply numbers, as in " Matiti ana te haere o 

 te koko ki runga hi te kahika.^'' 



When describing the work at the ahi matiti, a Native said, " Tokorua 

 tohunga kai te whaunu atu ki te ahi." Two adepts repeated certain charms 

 at the matiti fire to cause it to have its desired effect — that the fat of the 

 birds might melt and run readily into the trough. 



There is some evidence that stone bowls or troughs were used in the 

 north for stone boihng. 



The hue, or gourd, was formerly grown to a considerable extent. In 

 the kotawa stage of growth, when young and soft, they were eaten, but 



